Edyn Teitge just completed the Smoke n’ Fire 400 at the age of 13. He didn’t just complete it though, he came in 6th place only 8 hours behind Jay Petervery with a time of 2d 15h 31m. When I asked him how he felt after he finished, he didn’t think he could go any faster, but he thought he could go for another couple of days at that same pace.
As the father of a 12 year old, I find his story equal parts inspiring and unbelievable. It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to accomplish something so hard at such a young age. I’m starting to wonder, is this new normal? Has bikepacking started to captivate younger riders? As bikepacking grows it’s only natural that it will reach more folks. We first saw Jacob Hora win Jay Petervery’s Fat Pursuit at the age of 15, then PJ Terry shared first place at TNGA in 2022 at 17, and now a 13 year old has shown that age really is just a number.
I’ve often said on the podcast that bikepack racing is a great equalizer. It doesn’t care about your age, gender, which bike you ride, or how fast you are. Endurance efforts tap into something beyond tangible factors that are often more meaningful in shorter distances. In endurance we see humans doing incredible things unbound by traditional metrics used to measure an athletes ability.
Edyn wasn’t given a handicap based on his age. He signed up, lined up, and competed on the same course, in the same conditions, and he proved to himself, and the bikepacking world, that age really is just a number. In doing so, how many other young men and women will find inspiration from his accomplishment?
He also proved to himself that he is capable of more than he thought and I don’t think he’s done. Check out today’s episode and gather your kids around for this one (if you’ve got’em) and get ready to be amazed!
Quote of the Week – “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” ~ Mark Twain
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